In 1969, our Association was founded by a handful of military wives who wanted to make sure their widowed friends were properly taken care of. Two short years later, the Survivor Benefit Plan became law, and the Association has been hard at work ever since. A small, but determined, group of spouses around a kitchen table has expanded into a strong force of military families representing all ranks and Services.

Today, our team is comprised mainly of military spouses and former military members. We walk the walk and talk the talk on a daily basis. We are advocates and subject matter experts in the area of military family needs, issues, and benefits.

For more than 45 years, we’ve continued the mission of those military wives, dedicating our efforts to making sure all military families feel empowered, resilient, and taken care of.

NMFA is the voice of military families because, for 45 years, we have proven that we stand behind service members, their spouses, and their children. Our Association is the “go to” source for Administration Officials, Members of Congress, and key decision makers when they want to understand the issues facing our families. They know we have “boots on the ground” with military families and understand better than anyone that “military families serve, too.” Through the support and programs we provide, and our respected voice on Capitol Hill, at the Pentagon and Veterans Administration, our Association always looks out for the families who stand behind the uniform and for those who serve.

Operation Purple Camps

At Operation Purple Camp we embrace being “purple” and bring together military kids from all ranks and services, including National Guard and Reserve components, to a unique and memorable summer camp experience.

Operation Purple Family Retreats

Operation Purple Family Retreats provide military families with the opportunity to reconnect as a family. We are bringing families to beautiful outdoor locations in order to provide fun family-oriented activities and the ability to spend quality time together.

Operation Purple Healing Adventures

We've tailored a special retreat program that is designed to support wounded service members and their families. The Operation Purple Healing Adventures program celebrates rediscovering family-fun and togetherness after an injury.

Military Spouse Scholarships

The mission of this scholarship program is to help prepare military spouses for meaningful employment and to better contribute to their family’s financial security. Our scholarships are awarded to spouses of all Uniformed Services members.

MyMilitaryLife App

MyMilitaryLife smartphone app is a trusted one-stop-shop providing families with credible information tailored to a specific situation. We’ve verified the resources, and put them into a format that eliminates the stressful search.